Tales of Symphonia FAQ

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IGNcube reveals all you need to know about Namco's upcoming RPG.

By Mary Jane Irwin

Summer is fully upon us and there's hardly a GameCube release in sight. While most of us have backlogs of games to play, we're always looking for the next best thing on the horizon. Now that Nintendo's Four Swords Adventures has been released, what exactly should GameCube owners be looking forward to? While Rainbow Six 3 and Splinter Cell are making GameCube appearances in the next few weeks, they're old news to multi-console owners. That leaves Namco's Tales of Symphonia as the biggest GameCube title until August (Pikmin 2).

While it's the summer's biggest release, and one of our most anticipated titles, is TOS something you should be looking forward to? Should you prepare to invest your precious summer hours in this title? While we've written impressions and provided you with tons of media (all of our coverage can be found here.), we've found that there are still a lot of questions that need answering. So, we've compiled a list of most frequent inquiries so that you can educate yourself on the hottest GameCube RPG this summer (or to date). Behold: your one stop Tales of Symphonia info shop.

Q: What is Tales of Symphonia?

A:Tales of Symphonia is Namco's upcoming RPG. It's part of the Tales series (Tales of Destiny, Tales of Phantasia).

Q: What systems is it on?

A: There is some confusion concerning Tales' GameCube "exclusive" status. While Namco plans to release Tales on the PS2 -- it's currently only confirmed for Japan. That means that Tales retains its US GameCube exclusivity (at least for the time being).

Q: Since the Tales series has primarily remained in Japan, will US gamers be at a disadvantage when playing through Symphonia?

A: No. Although Symphonia is part of the Tales series, it doesn't directly reference prior games. The only elements of TOS that are related to previous Tales adventures are general storyline themes, the combat system, and items in the world. The story and characters are completely new and unrelated to prior Tales games.

Q: What is the story?

A:Tales' story is complicated and simple at the same time. The basic premise is that the world of Sylvarant is dying due to the extensive depletion of mana (life force). Your party must travel throughout the world of Sylvarant on a quest to rejuvenate the world. You'll have to protect the planet's savior, the Chosen One, as you quest for the sacred seals. Only the Chosen is able to activate them, and once they're all opened she'll be able to ascend the Tower of Salvation. Here, she can awaken the sleeping goddess who will rejuvenate the world. However, on your journeys you'll learn that not everything about Sylvarant is as it seems. It's directly linked to a mirror world whose survival is dependent on Sylvarant's suffering.

Q: How long is the quest?

A: If you partake in all side quests, Tales of Symphonia is estimated to take 80 hours to complete.

Q: How do you navigate through the game?

There are three main areas in Tales of Symphonia. The over world is how your party moves from town to town. The towns are where your party can learn clues to aid them in their quest, stock up on supplies, or heal their wounds with a stay at the inn. Dungeons are where you'll encounter most enemies and treasure. These are either heavily populated areas you're trying to move through to reach a distant location (like moving through the forest to find a human ranch) or places where you're trying to find a particular item (like a seal).